Tag Archives: GGSAC

Green Eggs and Ham Anyone? CSA Week 17

Posted on April 23, 2012 by AnnieRie

Love the green eggs in the box.

We didn’t get ham, but we did get four Angus beef quarter pound burgers. Now, if it ever gets warm again, I will be grilling burgers and the asparagus from the box.

The leeks were humongous. One of them weighed 28 ounces, the two of them almost two and a half pounds.

Besides them, there were two beets. They weighed 26 ounces together.

I wanted citrus (oranges again) to make with the last of the fennel in the fridge, for a salad. And, I got some spring onions. Rounding it out were carrots. The half share, six items plus the last week of eggs. This weekend we will get our final delivery and then two weeks later we start our summer CSA, full share with Sandy Spring.

Zahradka was a good winter fit for us. A little too many potatoes, I think. In the future, I have to think about what I order when. And, I know the eggs need to get used faster. I am learning from this experience.

A nice range of veggies here, ready to be used. The beets, roasted to use with the last of the spinach and the greens from my garden.

Maybe beets and orange and spring onions with a vinaigrette. Asparagus grilled after being wrapped in Boarman’s bacon. All sorts of possibilities here.

Since it got cold again, the other half of the family wants soup, so the carrots and leeks will go into soup. I will have to stop at Roots and get celery and maybe turnips to use in a soup. I do have cranberry beans. I also have CSA sausage left in the freezer.

Looks like another week of avoiding those large chain grocery stores thanks to local farmers, Roots and Boarman’s. Who needs Giant Foods? Not me.

By the way, I stopped the other day on Howchow’s recommendation and scored a loaf of Monk Rye Bread for us, on a Friday, so they had enough left from the Thursday delivery. Soup with bread. YUM!

Soup from sausage, greens and beans

hocofood@@@

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MD beef with MD wine

Posted on April 21, 2012 by AnnieRie

The grilling Saturday night special.

New York strip steaks from TLV Tree Farm. CSA peppers and onions. Wild asparagus from my yard. Pancetta bought at Roots. All getting happy on the grill at 500 degrees.

We got lucky and ate before it rained. This is a MD based dinner. Most of the food is from the Free State. A few exceptions, like the cheese from VA in the salad, and the blackberries from Costco. The blackberry vinaigrette is from Catoctin Mountain Orchards in Thurmont.

The wine: Slate, from Black Ankle Vineyards just across the county line above Mt. Airy.

The syrah adds an interesting note to what was otherwise mostly Bordeaux vinifera. Really nice, young, big wine from an up and coming Md winery.

The steaks were perfect. The peppers a good match. A low carb (relatively) meal with tons of flavor, locally sourced.

The asparagus from the yard. Awesome! I wrote about it here. And, no, it is no longer white once I exposed it to the sun. Still, a great dinner. Mostly local. Lots of it from less than 25 miles from the house.

hocofood@@@

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Stopping at Frank’s to Grab Strawberries

Posted on April 16, 2012 by AnnieRie

I couldn’t resist, nor could I wait until next month. I just wanted some strawberries.

I have spinach from the CSA, and chevre from a visit to VA. I have balsamic too. Can’t figure if I should make strawberries with balsamic and pepper, or add them to a salad, or both.

The strawberries are from Carolina. Still not ready here. Two or more weeks until Larriland.

If you have never been to Frank’s produce, they are located at the end of Lark Brown, past Costco and Trader Joe’s entrance. Keep going and turn right at the stop sign. Go about 150 yards. The greenhouses are full of plants right now and the place is hopping.

We went to Costco to fill up on staple stuff like printer cartridges, TP and allergy tablets. I did pick up my favorite organic broth that I use in so many ways. I love when they have it there.

As for the salsa in the picture above, I will be taking it to a meeting in a few nights. Needed something good to take. got some blue corn chips, and I am good to go.

I am also now a fan of using McCutcheon’s tomato preserves on toast as breakfast. Ran out a while back, and remembered that Frank’s sells McCutcheon’s products.

All in all, a good day to be out and about. As for eating locally, lunch today was leftovers and a salad from the CSA. I wasn’t going to blog about it, but my husband said, take a picture of my salad. It looks like something you would get at a restaurant.

CSA beef sausages with onions and peppers. CSA spinach, radishes and orange. Tomatoes from Boarman’s (not local). Firefly Farms chevre. Still avoiding those grocery stores and supporting Howard County businesses as much as I can.

hocofood@@@

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Brighton Dam Azalea Gardens

Posted on April 15, 2012 by AnnieRie

The perfect place to spend Sunday afternoon. The azaleas are peaking early this year. There may not be much left in May.

We headed out to grab some food at Boarman’s including a couple of pulled pork sandwiches and iced tea to have a picnic and walk the gardens. Took along the cooler to put the rest of the groceries in, so we were consolidating shopping, dining and exercising.

The gardens were established when I was a very little girl. My parents brought us out here countless times to walk the five acres of gardens.

They are located on the Montgomery County side of the reservoir, and besides the gardens there is a rec area with picnic tables. On the rec area side is the only place you can have food, drink and pets. Most were just strolling, enjoying, taking pics like me, and just taking in the beauty of a spring day.

We found a few of our pollinating friends enjoying it too.

There are some very lovely specimens in colors other than the normal ones you see in azaleas, like this one, almost an apricot.

A few side paths were squeezed by the sheer size of the bushes, some of which are more than 50 years old.

We wandered for about an hour before returning to the car, just as things were beginning to get crowded. Go early or go during the week to avoid crowds.

This is one of our area’s best spring traditions and a fun day you can spend without paying anything. Take a picnic, wear your sneakers, bring your camera, and enjoy the flowers.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Community, Day Trips, Food, Gardening, GGSAC, Howard County, Local Businesses, Nature, West HoCo and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

That Whole Grocery Store Avoidance Thing

Posted on April 12, 2012 by AnnieRie

Who knew you could put together a pizza this good looking without setting foot in a chain grocery store? Or by eating out.

A while back, I evaluated how much better I was doing by moving from processed to whole foods and declared an avoidance strategy when it comes to shopping the easy way at grocery stores.

I called it my GGSAC and only posted twice about it. So, how am I doing at avoiding the Giant Food and Safeway stores? For the past two weeks since I started, pretty well with an exception for Harris Teeter when I didn’t feel like running across the county to Costco or up to H Mart for fish.

I have spent more time and money in Boarman’s, Roots and David’s so far this month. I have been using up pantry items bought last fall, and have also put together a bag full of stuff to take to the Food Bank. If it makes me sneeze, it is out of here. If it has a long list of additives, same thing.

Thanks to Nicole at Hoco Loco for commenting that she saw Meyer Lemons at David’s. Yesterday we made it there to do some shopping that included locally made sausages and the aforementioned lemons. Looks like National Boh Brats on the grill this weekend maybe. Made in Baltimore.

I got a few things necessary as well to make a killer pizza tonight. The cheese, oh, the cheese. My favorite Mountain Top Bleu from Firefly Farms, bought at the Silver Spring Market.

Pancetta, bought at David’s Natural Market. The pizza crust came from Roots. The fig butter was in the fridge, and from Trader Joe’s.

The greens, from my garden, the asparagus, the first delicate spear from that wild plant under the crepe myrtles. Finished with a drizzle of Ariston olive oil bought at Casual Gourmet, this pizza is so satisfying.

Dinner was served with a 2002 Linden Cabernet Franc, still hanging in there after ten years. Full of fruit, a hint of smoke, not tired or fading. No bell pepper taste that Virginia francs sometimes exhibit. This lovely wine balanced the sweetness of the fig butter, the saltiness of the pancetta, the earthiness of the cheese, and the tang of the greens. What a great combination and a satisfying meal, NOT courtesy of boxed supermarket pizza.

hocofood@@@

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The Wegmans’ Effect

Posted on April 4, 2012 by AnnieRie

For some reason today I started thinking about who Wegmans will affect the most and how, once they open in June. I am in the early stages of what I call Grocery Store Avoidance, i.e., buying most things locally by supporting small businesses like Roots, David’s, Boarman’s and the farmers, and by using my traditional sources like SYSCO and Costco, for my staples.

I buy spices and basic supplies at the SYSCO outlet on Rte. 1 in Elkridge. I buy my bulk items at Costco, but don’t really use their pre-made foods very much. I wonder if that is the area that Wegman’s will hurt them the most.

What will happen to BJ’s? Can this area support Costco, BJ’s, and Wegman’s, when it comes to ready-made entertainment foods? I go to Costco for things like this.

Plus, the low sodium chicken broth. These are staples in my pantry. I use Costco for creamers and for coffees.

But I found a good deal at the Frederick Wegmans for my K-cups. As for bulk items like paper towels and toilet paper, it will be interesting to see the matchup once Wegmans opens with their bulk food aisle carrying much of the same items.

I buy wild ahi at Costco. Take it home and portion it out and freeze it. Same for things like Aidell’s Natural Sausages and Meatballs. Cheese, some spices, organic olive oil and balsamic, all come from Costco. You can bet I will be looking to see what Wegmans charges in their bulk aisles for these items.

But, will the traffic and crowds push me elsewhere? How congested will Snowden River Parkway get? Being retired, I can go at off hours, but I do wonder how frustrated people will get who try and get in there.

I love Wegmans. I go to Frederick often.

It will be Frederick most of the time unless I have doctor appointments or car work being done in East Columbia. I know I will be watching the effect they have on the area stores.

Only two months to go.

hocofood@@@

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Feeding My Farmer’s Market Addiction in Silver Spring

Posted on March 31, 2012 by AnnieRie

It’s been two months since I set foot in a farmer’s market. I think I was having withdrawal symptoms, so I coerced persuaded my better half to drive me down to Silver Spring this morning. I can drive now, but can’t carry. I suppose that if I went by myself I might buy less, but there’s no fun in that.

I decided to issue myself a personal challenge. That is, not to set foot in Giant, Safeway, Food Lion or Weis for the next six months unless I absolutely have to. There are just a few things not available elsewhere that I buy in the grocery store.

My goal is to use CSA, farmers’ markets, Boarman’s, local veggie stands, small businesses, family owned businesses (have to say this to sneak in Wegman’s), pick your own farms, and everything else I can think of that will provide me mostly real food instead of processed.

I will keep track of what I do and use the blog to discuss how well I am doing in really changing my diet to eliminate more and more of the processed foods. Today was the beginning of stocking up on fresh foods, and clearing out the pantry and fridge of the processed stuff.

We arrived around 11 am and the first thing you see is the Atwater’s truck.

I had to pick up a loaf of kalamata olive bread to serve with the last chicken noodle soup out of the freezer tonight. We had demolished the two loaves we bought last week in Catonsville, partially by taking some to friends for dinner last night.

We got apples, spring onions and chard from Spring Valley. It is so good to see spring onions. I love them with microgreens, like the ones in yesterday’s CSA delivery. Down to Firefly Farms for cheese, and Mock’s Greenhouses for the wonderful cherry tomatoes, hydroponically grown basil and arugula.

I am going to make my own flatbread dough with the Union Mills flour I picked up at Breezy Willow a while ago, and put arugula, bleu cheese and Boarman’s sausage on it one night next week. The hydroponic greens and the high tunnel cherry tomatoes from Mock’s are a hint of what is to come in summer. The basil is intensely scented, making me want to create a caprese salad if only I had some fresh mozzarella. The tomatoes burst with flavor and you wouldn’t know they were “hothouse” tomatoes unless someone told you.

I was talking to them and yes, they will be a supplier to Wegmans in Columbia just like they are in Frederick. Woo Hoo! Their bibb lettuce is incredibly sweet and delicious but today I already had containers full of greens and spinach at home from the CSA. This week we will be feasting on fresh salads.

Stopped at Garden Path Farms to pick up short ribs to use in the crockpot tomorrow with the chard bought at Spring Valley and the CSA mustard greens.

Soaking cranberry beans from MOM’s overnight tonight, so dinner will be greens, beans and ribs in the slow cooker. I will use the last pint of my turkey stock from the freezer to make this. Another real food dinner made from scratch.

After picking up these goodies, we hit Lebanese Taverna for a kafta sandwich. There are so many interesting restaurants on Ellsworth just behind City Place. Want Pho? Peri Peri? Thai? Lebanese? Potbelly Sandwiches? The list is endless. 100+ restaurants in the surrounding area. Free parking in the Wayne Avenue garage. A Whole Foods across from the parking garage as well in case you aren’t already shopped out.

Take a cooler in your trunk. Hit the market. Next week they go back to spring hours. From 9 am to 1 pm. Have breakfast, brunch or lunch and get in shape for our markets to open in six weeks. Can’t beat fresh veggies, meats, cheeses, eggs and fruit from area farmers.

And follow me on my GGSAC* journey. The *Great Grocery Store Avoidance Challenge*.

hocofood@@@

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Posted in CSA, Farmer's Markets, Food, GGSAC, Howard County, Local Businesses, Locavore, Real Food, Restaurants and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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